OpAmp Voter

I have three DC-5Khz, 0-5 V positive going signals. I'd like to select and pass the highest of the signals, without diode losses. Using a microproces sor is out of the question. Cost is a object and actives should be limited to devices that can be second sourced.

This is for converting a RGB command signal to an intensity signal.

Steve

Reply to
sroberts6328
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Three opamps, each with a diode in its output. Each acts like a follower, but all three get their nfb from the output node. Needs a pulldown from output to ground or V-, too.

Classic process control "high select."

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

You're welcome.

Cheers

--
Syd
Reply to
Syd Rumpo

nd pass the highest of the signals, without diode losses. Using a micropro cessor is out of the question. Cost is a object and actives should be limi ted to devices that can be second sourced.

Yup. A less precise option is putting each input thru a diode, with the out put of the diodes going thru an opamp with a diode in the nfb path to add a diode drop to the output. An extra resistor to supply rail needed to keep the diode biased. 4 diodes 1 opamp versus 3 diodes 3 opamps. The performanc e difference between this and the above should be fairly obvious.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Just add another input to this circuit I posted last November...

bitrexCircuitChallenge_2013_11_07.pdf

on the S.E.D/Schematics Page of my website.

Probably best if you used a quad-OpAmp... three for inputs, the resistor to ground (or to negative rail) to ensure "Who's on first"

Fourth OpAmp as the buffer. ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    | 
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142     Skype: skypeanalog  |             | 
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  | 
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     | 
              
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

With something like this tacked on it will work better at 5kHz:

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It will still be a bit glitchy where the levels cross.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Two of the three amps will be railed negative at any time, so your circuit doesn't really need R2.

I'd go for schottky diodes and faster amps, meself.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

At 5kHz, any of the suggestions above will do.

I also have one that works at high frequencies, without suffering from glitches or integrator wind-up.

Tim

-- Seven Transistor Labs Electrical Engineering Consultation Website:

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This is for converting a RGB command signal to an intensity signal.

Steve

Reply to
Tim Williams

The reverse diodes + 10K resistors keep the op-amps from railing. Some op-amps take a long time to recover from being railed (as I think you have measured).

Using Schottky diodes as you suggest would reduce the volts they have to slew.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

No, No, don't show us that one.

--

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc 

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com 
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Reply to
John Larkin

"I don't expect you to look, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Tim

--
Seven Transistor Labs 
Electrical Engineering Consultation 
Website: http://seventransistorlabs.com
Reply to
Tim Williams

Old-school:

V+ -+- | .--+--. | | [R1] | | |/ .---+---| Q2 | |>. | Vout |\ | | . --- . V-

Don't forget the output load...

Cheers, James

Reply to
dagmargoodboat

Works okay provided BE junction of Q2 doesn't break down, should be fine for 5 or 6V with just about any transistor.

I guess you could flip Q2 for more voltage- might even reduce the offset.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com
Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Q2 shouldn't break down--video's only +/- 1v.

You mean use Q2 inverted? Wouldn't r(e) have the same i*r drop?

Using a compound (Szilaki?) for Q2 would reduce the gain error, but it gets messy. Using the usual feedback resistors you could tweak Q5's gain slightly over unity. (Hey, it's only video, right?)

V+ -+- | .------+------. | | | | [R2] | | | |. | v1 >------| | | | |\ | +------+----> Q1 | | | --- | [RL] V- | | .--+ --- |------------| |\ Q3 | --- V-

Op-amps are almost always the way to go, but I always enjoy remembering the simpler things...

Cheers, James Arthur

Reply to
dagmargoodboat

Ooops, I inverted that into a lowest-wins voter! Flip all the polarities, swap npnpnp, etc., please.

Cheers, James Arthur

Reply to
dagmargoodboat

5kHz video? Sounds like it's not quite 4K quality.

Best regards,

--sp

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

You can also use transistors instead of diodes, and wire-OR their emitters. That usually makes the op amps better behaved IME. A catch diode (as Spehro shows) helps with the transient.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
Principal Consultant 
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC 
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 

160 North State Road #203 
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 

hobbs at electrooptical dot net 
http://electrooptical.net
Reply to
Phil Hobbs

On a sunny day (Mon, 8 Sep 2014 13:16:11 -0700 (PDT)) it happened " snipped-for-privacy@SpamSucks.net" wrote in :

1) If you are talking about analog video, then the bandwidth would be to 5 MHz, no 5 kHz. 2) The method you describe asks for trouble, as in your black and white picture areas of different color will show up the same, making many things 'unreadable'. 3) The normal way to convert from RGB to BW is a resistor matrix, no 'opamps' needed.

In the European system the ratio for white is .3 R + .59 G + .11 B

You can nicely appoximate this like this:

R -- 3k9 -- |-------- BW G -- 1k8 --| | B -- 10k --

Note that for R, B, G = 1V the output is also 1V.

The rest is, as they say, bullshit.

Your question sucks, so this is a wild guess of what you were trying to accomplish, or not accomplish.

So be more clear in your questions! That saves people time and irritation. Or google first.

El Pante

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

If you need super-fast, and no OpAmp-style hangs, study the techniques in Patent 3,643,110 Sample and Hold Circuit, PDF on the Home Page of my website.

All you need is the first half of the schematic.

How it works is detailed in the Patent. ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    | 
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142     Skype: skypeanalog  |             | 
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  | 
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     | 
              
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Use the right transistor:

this one takes 25V across the BE junction.

Reply to
whit3rd

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